People always ask me what makes a yoga teacher great. Here's what I think.

1. Asking, "How can I help?" over "What can I prove?" I think it's important to put your attention on the people in the class, instead of drawing attention to yourself as a teacher. The "How can I help?" attitude also takes the pressure off of you to perform the class and frees you up to help everyone in the room have a great experience.

2. Supporting over Adjusting. I'm a big believer in supporting people in the poses and movements so they can get into a place where they feel at ease, instead of pushing or fixing someone's body to make a particular shape. Pushing people into shapes leads to injuries and supporting leads to a great experience.

3. Relaxed vibe. We're all about a relaxed vibe at Strala. It's in the culture of our whole experience. From the language of the guides to the friendly, fun, and approachable atmosphere, it's important to us that we create space for people to feel at ease.

4. Clear instruction with room to breathe. It's great when the leader instructs the sequences with clarity and great pacing while also allowing space for people to know that they can back off, and let people feel at ease so they can explore into themselves.

5. Great music. I love great music and the right music choice in class can really help the experience. We carefully curate our playlists to help the class feel relaxed, fun, and add to the open vibe.

But to find out the MOST important quality and what makes me laugh about yoga, you'll have to watch this quick video :)

Named “Yoga Rebel” by the New York Times, Tara Stiles has inspired a wide audience around the world with her relatable approaches to movement, meditation, exercise, awareness, nutrition, and everyday well-being. Tara is the founder and owner of Strala, the movement based system that ignites freedom. Strala’s flagship studio is located in SOHO, NYC, with several franchises opening globally in early 2014. Stiles partners with SCLA, making Strala classes the first branded yoga program to be available at a major gym chain. Tara is the designer and face of Reebok’s yoga lifestyle range. She is the author of two top selling books: Slim Calm Sexy Yoga and Yoga Cures (which has been translated and published in 5 languages) and she has created several DVD series collaborations with Jane Fonda, Deepak Chopra, Tia Mowry, Brooklyn Decker and ELLE Magazine. Tara supports the Alliance For A Healthier Generation, Bill Clinton’s initiative to combat childhood obesity, bringing Strala classes to 18,000 participating schools. Check out Tara's MBG Video Course, The Complete Guide To Yoga.

Named “Yoga Rebel” by the New York Times, Tara Stiles has inspired a wide audience around the world with her relatable approaches to movement, meditation, exercise, awareness, nutrition, and everyday well-being. Tara is the founder and owner of Strala, the movement based system that ignites freedom. Strala’s flagship studio is located in SOHO, NYC, with several franchises opening globally in early 2014. Stiles partners with SCLA, making Strala classes the first branded yoga program to be available at a major gym chain. Tara is the designer and face of Reebok’s yoga lifestyle range. She is the author of two top selling books: Slim Calm Sexy Yoga and Yoga Cures (which has been translated and published in 5 languages) and she has created several DVD series collaborations with Jane Fonda, Deepak Chopra, Tia Mowry, Brooklyn Decker and ELLE Magazine. Tara supports the Alliance For A Healthier Generation, Bill Clinton’s initiative to combat childhood obesity, bringing Strala classes to 18,000 participating schools. Check out Tara's MBG Video Course, The Complete Guide To Yoga.

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